50,000 euros private donation for research into hepatitis therapy
A private individual has made a large donation to the Medical Center - University of Freiburg / The money will be used for the further development of therapies against hepatitis B infections
The Department of Medicine II at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg is delighted to have received significant financial support in the amount of 50,000 euros from a private donor. The money will be used for the further development of therapies against hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections.
"The donor is very attached to our clinic because we were able to cure a relative of severe hepatitis," says Prof. Dr. Robert Thimme, Medical Director of the Department of Medicine II at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg. "The donation is an important opportunity for us to further advance innovative approaches to the treatment of hepatitis B, for which we are very grateful." Thimme and his team have been researching the exact disease mechanisms and new therapeutic approaches for a long time.
250 million chronically infected people worldwide
HBV is one of the most common pathogens in humans. According to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO), around 40 percent of the world's population is already infected with HBV. In many cases, the virus is quickly eliminated by the immune system. However, in more than 250 million people currently infected, the virus persists, causing a chronic liver infection and leading to severe liver damage due to repeated immune attacks. This results in almost one million deaths per year due to liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.
New therapeutic strategies
Although current therapies with modified basic DNA components can greatly suppress the replication of the virus, they are usually unable to completely eliminate the virus. To make matters worse, viruses that are resistant to the effect of the drugs can easily emerge during the course of treatment. "The development of new therapeutic strategies, ideally with low resistance potential, is therefore of great importance to us," says Thimme.
Donating today helps every day
Patients and relatives who would like to support the Medical Center - University of Freiburg can find information about the donation process on the donation portal. Among other things, the donations help to find new approaches for treatment options and further strengthen the social fund for the financial support of patients.
Donation portal:www.uniklinik-freiburg.de/hier-spenden
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